Cleaning apparatus for retorts.



R. ZIESING & G. F. CARPENTER. CLEANING APPARATUS FOR RETORTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I3. 1916- Patented June 11, 191 8.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- J/ TNzfs 65$ RLZIESING & G. F. CARPENTER.

CLEANING APPARATUS FOR RETORTS. APPLICATION FILED JULY [3. i915.

Patented June 11, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 .1 5 I Q l l J co/T/vcesss ZPVA E/ TO/a WW 3? I 40 fzcmzo Z E/NG fi-T/ GENE mvTo all whom it may concern RICHARD zmsme, or CLEVELAND, onro, wns'r vmemre, nssrenons 'ro THE I, care, A conronerron or 01110.

Be it known that we, RICHARD Zmsmo and GEORGE F. CARPENTER, both citizens of the United tates, and residents of Cleveland, county of Ouyahoga, and State of Ohio, and of Olarksburg, county of Harrison, and State of West Virginia, respectively, have jointly invented a new and use- Improvement in Cleaning Apparatus for Retorts, ofwhich the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which we have contemplated applying that princi ple, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning a series of retorts or other conduits, such as are commonly used in zinc furnaces where the retorts are disposed in a number of horizontal and vertical lines. In this type of furnaces the slag which results from the treatment of the ore collects on the inside of the retorts and particularly at the mouth, and after the treatment of every charge this slag and clinker must be removed. ur improved apparatus for cleaning retorts is designed for removing this slag and clinker in an expeditious and convenient manner. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly, pointed out in the claims. v

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechai nism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Figure 1 is' a front elevation of our improved apparatus; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in vertical section of certain driving connections.

Our machine consists of a car or truck having a framework 1 mounted upon wheels 2-designed for operation upon a track 3 disposed adjacent to and parallel w1th the outer Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 13, 1916. Serial No.

, ends of the series of retorts;

AND GEORGE F. cAnrEnrnn, or cLxsBUae, GRASSELLI CHEMICAL comremr, or CLEVE- cnnanme arrenarus non nn'ron'rs.

Patented June 11, 1918.

is possible to move the apparatus opposite to any desired line of the retorts, of which there are a great number, arranged as stated 1n horizontal and vertical lines. Mounted upon the framework 1 are guides or tracks 4 ea upon which rest the wheels 5 of a carriage or movable framework which carries the retort cleaning apparatus. This carriage consists of a rectangular upright framework 6 provided with outwardly flared members 7 at the bottom, between which and the frame 6 are mounted the rollers or wheels 5. The carriage is guided at its top by means of a roller 8 engaging a guide in the form of an I-beam 9 mounted centrally in, and extend e5 ing downwardly from, the top of the framework 1.

Disposed horizontally in the frame 6 of the carriage are a plurality of vertically alined parallel shafts 10, these, shafts bearing at their outer ends cleanin tools 11 which are preferably in the formo angers or drillsbut may be special tools of any kind. Each shaft 10 is joined substantially centrally with a universal joint 50 of any suit- 76 able type which permits the outer portion bearing the cleaning tool 11 to have a slight movement in any direction out'of alinemeni with the main portion of the shaft 10. In

this way each shaft is constructed to accom- -modate itself to irregularities in the posltlon of the retorts, or to irregular masses of slag at the entrance to the same. The swinging portion of the shafts 10 normally rest upon the rollers 12 mounted altsuitable intervals in the frame 1 and arranged to normally maintain the outer portions of the shafts at a slight angle, conforming to the normal sprocket 17 mounted on a shaft 18. This yr last named shaft bears a worm gear 19 Wl'llCll is engaged with and driven by a worm 20 attached to the armature of an electrlcal mo- In this way it" 50 any other desired connections between the shafts 10 may be employed, and also other sources of power than electric motor may I be used, although the latter is preferable under most conditions.

The carriage (5 moved toward and away from the retorts on the tracks a by means of cables and 26. These cables 25 and 26 are attached at one end to the carriage 6, and then pass over double sheaves 27 which are attached to a shaft 28 vertically disposed at one side of the frame'l. From the lower half of these double sheaves the cables run over pulleys 29 mounted at the right side of the frame 1 and then return to the upper portions of the double sheaves from which they run over pulleys 30 mountedv at the left side of. the frame and from there back to the outer end of the carriage frame 8. It will be seen that upon rotation. of the shaft 28 the sheaves 27 will cause the cable to draw the carriage either toward or from the retorts, depending upon the direction of rotation of this shaft.

The shaft 28 is driven from an electrical motor 31, mounted upon a platform 32 attached to the car or frame, by means of sprockets 33 and 3 1-. and a chain The sprocket 3a is attached to a shaft 36 bearing gears 87 and 38. The gear 37 meshes with the gear 39 on a shaft 40 parallel to the shaft 36, while the gear 38 drives a gear 42 loosely mounted on a shaft 43-bearing a beveled gear 4- engaging a larger beveled gear 4-5 attached to the shaft 28. The shaft 4-.0 drives, by means of a sprocket i6, and chain 48 a sprocket 47 also loosely mounted on the shaft 4:3. It will be seen that the gear 42 and the sprocket 47 on the shaft *l'i'l are driven in opposite directions, and that both of, these members areloose on the shaft 43. On the shaft l are mounted two clutches 50 and 31 which serve to engage the sprocket ell and the gear. 42 withthe shaft 43 when operated. and in this way the last named shaft is driven in either direction and thus drives the shaft 28 in either direction to advance or return thecarriage 6.

The clutches are controlled by connect-ed levers 52 and 53. so that engagement of one clutch produces disengagement of the other.

lVe preferably employ separate and in dividual drives for the shafts 10 and for thecarriage in the manner indicated, since it is thus possible to eliminate considerable gearingand other connections, and a better andquicker operation of the various parts can thus be secured. The motor 21 is mounted on the platform 55 carried on the carriage 6.

In a zinc furnace the retorts are usually disposed in horizontal rows of live, (see Fig. l dotted lines) the retorts being in vertical alinement and being slightly inclined downward toward their outer ends. It will be noticed that the shafts 10 are mounted at aslight angle to the horizontal, and are thus in substantial alinement with a vertical row of retorts, and upon movement of the carriage toward the retorts the cleaning tools 11 will be moved into them.

The carriage is then advanced until the cleaning'tools ll have reached the inner ends of the retorts, and are then withdrawn, the slag and clinker from the retorts being discharged by means of the angers or screws 11. As soon as one vertical line of retorts has been cleaned, the ar is moved along the track 3 until the tools are in line with the next vertical line of retorts when the operation is repeated. The present cleaning apparatus will operate very rapidly and efficiently to clean retorts in a zinc furnace and is more efl'ective than the present method of blowing out the slag and clinker by means of steam introduced at the inner ends'of the retorts.

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention 1. In a retort cleaning apparatus, the combination of a frame adapted to be positioned before a series of retorts, a carriage movably mounted on said frame toward said retorts, shafts rotatably mounted on said carriage and operable in unison, and cleaning tools flexibly joined to said shafts and normally supported on said frame, said tools being capable of upward or horizontal movement to enable them to be automatically alined in said retorts.

22-. In a retort cleaning apparatus. the combination of a frame adapted to be positioned before a series of retorts, rollers mounted in said frame. a carriage movably mounted on said frame toward said retorts, shafts rotatably mounted on said carriage and operable in unison, a cleaning tool connected to each of said shafts with a universal joint and normally supported on said rollers in said frame in parallelism with each other, a motor mounted on said frame. sheaves also mounted on said frame, connections between said motor and said sheaves permitting rotation of the latter in either direction, and cables controlled by said sheaves and attached to said carriage for moving the same in either direction.

lllllh 3. In a cleaning apparatus, the combination of a frame adapted to be positioned before a series of retorts, rollers mounted in said frame, a carriage movably mounted on said frame, toward said retorts, shafts rotatably mounted on said carriage and operable in unison, a cleaning tool connected to each of said shafts with a universal joint normally supported on said rolls in said frame in substantially parallel alinement,

said shafts and tools being freely movable over and above said rollers to allow them RICHARD ZIESING. Attested by RAY T. MILLER, W, T. CASHMAN. Signed by me this 1st day of June, 1916.

GEORGE E. CARPENTER.

Attested by PHILIP P. STEPTOE, I DELTA BENDER. 

